Living in Oblivion (1995)

As a film school graduate, cinematographer on Stranger Than Paradise (1984), and director of indie film Johnny Suede (1991), Tom DiCillo clearly knew all the perils of low-budget filmmaking, and he put that knowledge to hilarious use in his second feature, Living in Oblivion (1995). The rare reflexive parody that succeeds, Living in Oblivion's three nightmares run the gamut of potential snafus that could plague auteur Nick Reve's production. Between sending up nerve-fraying technical gaffes and such "arty" clichés as dream sequences with dwarves and a cinematographer fixated on hand-held shots, DiCillo's satire hits a comic high point with the introduction of James Le Gros' preening, glad-handing Brad Pitt-esque leading man Chad Palomino, the ultimate star run amok. Though Le Gros dominates his section of the film, Catherine Keener's spiky leading lady and Steve Buscemi's long-haired, goateed Nick easily hold their comic own. Even as everything seems to fall apart, DiCillo's affection for the process remains palpable, particularly in the final coda of dreams fulfilled. A Sundance Film Festival smash, Living in Oblivion vaulted DiCillo to the forefront of 1990s independent cinema, and burnished the reputations of indie stars Buscemi, Le Gros, and Keener. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide